occasional notes about random things

Phoenix

06 May 2018

It's soooo hard to leave home. And, Shanghai has become home to us over the past five years. Despite the challenges, I love this absolutely gorgeous city. I've loved making our apartment our home. I've been blessed to get to know some fabulous friends.

And I have fallen utterly in love with, and become godmother to, two amazing, adorable children here. And my heart is breaking everyday that I will no longer be seeing them every morning and afternoon. It does help some that I already have my ticket for a two-week August visit so I can be with them when they start Year 2 at school, and future trips are being planned too. But still. Just. So. Hard.

A big part of me does not want to leave home.

It's sooo exciting to be coming home. And, Phoenix is home too. I'm so excited that I'll be only a few hours away from my siblings -- only 1 or 2 time zones, rather than 12-14. I can't wait to get to babysit my granddaughter. I can't wait to reconnect "live" with friends back in Phoenix, to get involved again in working to make Phoenix and Arizona better places to live, to cheer on the DBacks and Cardinals and Suns and Coyotes (live). I can't wait to go flying with LOML and to ride Big Yellow with him. And I can't wait for a DRY heat summer (instead of the incredibly humid Shanghai summer). And I'm very excited that we will be living downtown (or much closer anyway) Phoenix.

A big part of me can't wait to get home.

Torn between two homes; both heartbroken and excited. That's how it is right now we finish out our last few days in Shanghai.